Know Your Trains: Resort View Furusato

This article is based on a visit made on Saturday, 19 May 2018.

Previously on Sekai Ichi, I wrapped up a day trip to Takayama which, I would say, was one of the highlights of this trip.  After returning for our final night in Toyama, we were about to return to Tokyo.  But even though the Hokuriku Shinkansen provides a fast and direct link between the two cities, I felt like making a diversion along the way.  Our interim destination was the castle town of Matsumoto, and to get there, our route included a special train called the Resort View Furusato.

The Resort View Furusato (リゾートビューふるさと, Rizōto Byū Furusato) is one of JR East's lineup of "Joyful Trains".  These are specialised excursion trains which generally run on weekends and holiday periods, and have unique exterior and interior themes, often tying in with aspects of their particular regions.

The Resort View Furusato uses a 2-car HB-E300-series train, powered by a hybrid electric/diesel engine.  Inside, the Furusato may not appear as flashy as other Joyful Trains, but its essentials go above and beyond the call.  All seats have a generous pitch of 120 cm (47 inches), the most spacious regular seating in JR's entire fleet, and the windows are plenty wide, too.  At both ends of the train, there are small open areas where you can enjoy an even better view.  Traditional music performances are also held here, primarily on the western portion of the route which we skipped over.

Mid-way between Nagano and Matsumoto, the train makes an extended stop at Obasute Station.  Two things stand out about this station: first, there is a switchback here, where the train must change directions to climb up or down, not unlike certain points of the Hakone Tozan Railway.  And second, the platform has a commanding view of the Zenkoji Plain below, towards Nagano.

Attendants are also on hand throughout the whole journey.  You can buy certain snacks and gifts from them -- such as products made with apples, an agricultural specialty of Nagano Prefecture -- and they are happy to assist with taking your picture, such as I did at the above-mentioned stop.

---

We disembarked at Matsumoto, but the Resort View Furusato continues up the Oito line, which skirts up the eastern edge of the Japan Alps.  If you want to go to the Tateyama-Kurobe Alpine Route, you can take this train to Shinano-Omachi station, and transfer to a bus from there.  Kurobe Dam (pictured), one of the route's highlights, can be reached in only an hour from Shinano-Omachi.  Beware that if you do so, make sure you have enough time to catch the last connection at each stop, since crowds are liable to build up by the time you get there.  For more information, please read my introduction article on the Alpine Route here.

663highland [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

On its outbound journey, the train also makes an extended half-hour stop at Hotaka.  This gives you enough time to visit Hotaka Shrine which, despite being situated right next to the station, is nestled within a pleasant wooded grove.  In that regard, it reminds me of Meiji Shrine in Tokyo.  Even Hotaka Station is modelled after the shrine's bare-wooden architecture!

Ski Mania [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

The far end of the line, from Hakuba to Minami-Otari, is home to a dense cluster of ski resorts, accessible by buses from either of the two stations as well as from Nagano.  The largest ski zone is Happo'one (pictured), which hosted Downhill and Super G skiing events during the 1998 Winter Olympics.

---

The Resort View Furusato runs on most Saturdays and Sundays, and some additional periods, including almost the entire month of August.  For up-to-date operating schedules, please visit the links at the bottom of this article.

Station	Resort View Furusato for Minami-Otari	Station	Resort View Furusato for Nagano
Nagano	9:04 AM	Minami-Otari	3:18 PM
Shinonoi	9:13 AM	Hakuba	3:33 PM (Arr.) 3:39 PM (Dep.)
Obasute	9:28 AM (Arr.) 9:45 AM (Dep.)	Shinano-Omachi	4:20 PM (Arr.) 4:21 PM (Dep.)
Akashina	10:11 AM (Arr.) 10:12 AM (Dep.)	Shinano-Matsukawa	4:30 PM (Arr.) 4:31 PM (Dep.)
Matsumoto	10:27 AM (Arr.) 10:41 AM (Dep.)	Hotaka	4:42 PM (Arr.) 4:45 PM (Dep.)
Hotaka	10:59 AM (Arr.) 11:31 AM (Dep.)	Matsumoto	5:14 PM (Arr.) 5:23 PM (Dep.)
Shinano-Matsukawa	11:41 AM (Arr.) 11:42 AM (Dep.)	Akashina	5:40 PM
Shinano-Omachi	11:52 AM (Arr.) 12:02 PM (Dep.)	Obasute	6:06 PM (Arr.) 6:07 PM (Dep.)
Hakuba	12:34 PM (Arr.) 12:42 PM (Dep.)	Shinonoi	6:19 PM
Minami-Otari	1:00 PM	Nagano	6:29 PM

Tips

• All seats on the Resort View Furusato are reserved.  The supplement fee is a flat ¥530 on top of regular fare.
• The Resort View Furusato is classified as a rapid train, so you can ride it for free with the Japan Rail Pass, JR East Nagano-Niigata Pass, and even the Seishun 18 Ticket.
• For the best views during the Nagano-Matsumoto section, including the Obasute overlook, sit on the right side of the train (for outbound services).  For the best views of the Japan alps beyond Matsumoto, sit on the left side (outbound).

More information: (English) (Japanese)

Know Your Trains: Shirasagi and Thunderbird

A 683-series Thunderbird train at Kanazawa Station.
Taken on Tuesday, 15 May 2018.

Previously on Sekai Ichi, I made my way up from Kyoto to Toyama, my base camp for the next few days.  Now, it's pretty obvious how one would get there from Tokyo, and that would be on the Hokuriku Shinkansen.  But with that line not yet extended westward, there are a couple of limited-express train services that offer the fastest and most direct access from western cities.  The "Shirasagi" starts from Nagoya, and the "Thunderbird" starts from Osaka and Kyoto, with both ending up in Kanazawa, where one may transfer to the Shinkansen.  In 2015, these were also supplemented by some new, smaller-scale services called the "Dinostar" and "Noto Kagaribi".

Name	Start Station	End Station(s)	Time	Max. Frequency*
Shirasagi	Nagoya	Kanazawa	3 hours	1 per 1-2 hours
	Maibara		1 hour 50 minutes	1 per hour
Thunderbird	Osaka	Kanazawa	2 hours 30-50 minutes	1-2 per hour
		Wakura Onsen	4 hours	1 per day
Dinostar	Fukui	Kanazawa	45 minutes	3 per day
Noto Kagaribi	Kanazawa	Wakura Onsen	1 hour	1 per 3 hours

*Departures are based on April 2019 schedules and are subject to change.

The Thunderbird starts from Osaka Station and goes along the Kyoto and Kosei lines, passing Lake Biwa to the west.  Meanwhile, the Shirasagi starts from Nagoya Station and goes along the Tokaido and Hokuriku lines, passing Lake Biwa to the east.  Note that a few Shirasagis, mainly during the early morning or late evening, start or end at Maibara instead of Nagoya.  From Tsuruga Station on, both trains follow the same path up the Hokuriku Main Line, until reaching Kanazawa.  The Dinostar follows a shortened version of this section, between Fukui and Kanazawa.  Finally, rounding out the lineup on hand, the Noto Kagaribi goes north from Kanazawa up the Noto Peninsula, via the IR Ishikawa and JR Nanao lines.  One Thunderbird per day also continues along this path.  There are even more once-daily services like the Business Thunderbird (Osaka-Kanazawa) and Ohayo Express (Tsuruga-Kanazawa), which I felt were of too little use for travellers to list in detail.

No.	Name (English)	Name (Japanese)	Line	Shirasagi	Thunderbird	Dinostar	Noto Kagaribi
A47	Osaka	大阪	JR Kyoto (A)	I	X	I	I
A46	Shin-Osaka	新大阪		I	X	I	I
A38	Takatsuki	高槻		I	O	I	I
A31	Kyoto	京都		I	X	I	I
			JR Kosei (B)
B25	Katata	堅田		I	O	I	I
B14	Omi-Imazu	近江今津		I	O	I	I
CA68	Nagoya	名古屋	JR Tokaido (CA)	X	I	I	I
CA72	Owari Ichinomiya	尾張一宮		X	I	I	I
CA74	Gifu	岐阜		X	I	I	I
CA77	Ogaki	大垣		X	I	I	I
CA83	Maibara	米原		X	I	I	I
			JR Hokuriku (A)
A09	Nagahama	長浜		O	I	I	I
A01	Tsuruga	敦賀		X	O	I	I
	Takefu	武生		X	O	I	I
	Sabae	鯖江		X	O	I	I
	Fukui	福井		X	X	X	I
	Awara Onsen	芦原温泉		X	O	X	I
	Kaga Onsen	加賀温泉		X	O	X	I
	Komatsu	小松		X	O	X	I
	Matto	松任		O	O	I	I
	Kanazawa	金沢		X	X	X	X
			JR Nanao
	Unoke	宇野気		I	I	I	O
	Takamatsu	高松		I	I	I	O
	Hakui	羽咋		I	O	I	X
	Yoshikawa	良川		I	I	I	O
	Nanao	七尾		I	O	I	X
	Wakura-Onsen	和倉温泉		I	O	I	X

Legend
X: All trains stop at this station.
O: Some trains stop at this station.
I: No trains stop at this station.

Notable Stops

• Shin-Osaka: The economic and culinary centre of the Kansai region.
• Kyoto: Japan's history-laden former capital city.
• Nagoya: An economic centre with industrial and historical sites.
• Maibara: A good place to transfer to/from the Tokaido Shinkansen.
• Tsuruga: The future terminus of the Hokuriku Shinkansen.
• Fukui: The eponymous capital of Fukui Prefecture
• Kaga Onsen: A collection of hot-spring towns at the base of the sacred Mt. Haku.
• Komatsu: Close to the regional airport.
• Kanazawa: A historically-preserved city, famous for the Kenroku-en garden.
• Wakura Onsen: A hot-spring town and bus hub on the Noto Peninsula

---

The Shirasagi, Thunderbird, and other such trains alternate between using 681-series and 683-series trainsets.  Train arrangements also vary, with services using sets of 3, 6, or 9 cars.  On Thunderbird services that go all the way to Wakura-Onsen, only cars 1 through 6 are used beyond Kanazawa.  In all cases, seats are laid out 2+2 across with 97cm (38 inches) of seat pitch in regular cars, and 2+1 and 116cm (45 inches) in the Green Car.

Service	Total Cars	Non-Reserved Cars	Reserved Cars	Green Cars
Shirasagi	6	2 (Cars #5-6)	3 (Cars #2-4)	1 (Car #1)
Thunderbird	6	3 (Cars #5-7)	5 (Cars #2-4, 8-9)	1 (Car #1)
	9	2 (Cars #5-6)	2 (Cars #5-6)
Dinostar	6	2 (Cars #5-6)	3 (Cars #2-4)	1 (Car #1)
Noto Kagaribi	6	2 (Cars #5-6)	3 (Cars #2-4)	1 (Car #1)
	3	2 (Cars #1-2)	1 (Car #3)	0

A 683-series Shirasagi train near Kurikara Station, on the former Hokuriku Main Line (currently the IR Ishikawa railway). Before 2015, these trains used to take this route to get to Toyama.
By Toshinori baba [CC BY-SA 4.0], from Wikimedia Commons

Tips

• Coming from Nagoya, it may be faster to take the Tokaido Shinkansen to Maibara, and transfer to a Shirasagi from there.  This can save up to half an hour of travel time, offers more frequent connections, and only costs about ¥200 (unreserved) to ¥700 (reserved) extra, if not using the Japan Rail Pass.  Only Kodama and some Hikari trains stop at Maibara.
• Thunderbird and Noto Kagaribi trains use the IR Ishikawa line, which is not normally covered by the Japan Rail Pass.  However, a special provision of the pass allows users to ride the section between Kanazawa and Tsubata, as used by those trains, for free.

Trivia

• The name "Shirasagi" (しらさぎ) means "white heron".  (Coinicidentally, this is also a common nickname of Himeji Castle.)  The Shirasagi train service was started in 1964.  Originally it went all the way to Toyama, but seems to have been truncated at Kanazawa with the extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen.
• The "Thunderbird" (サンダーバード, Sandābādo) service was started in 1995, and was formerly named "Super Raicho" until 1997.
• The Thunderbird is a successor to the "Raicho" (雷鳥, raichō) limited express between Osaka and Toyama, in service from 1964 to 2011.  The name "Raicho" literally means "lightning/thunder bird", hence its modern name, but is also the Japanese name of the Rock ptarmigan, a bird which is common in the Hokuriku region.
• The name "Dinostar" (ダイノスター, Dainosutā) is a reference to Fukui Prefecture's association with dinosaurs.  Many dinosaur fossils have been found in the area, and the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum, regarded as one of the best dinosaur museums in the world, is just over an hour east of downtown Fukui,
• The name "Noto Kagaribi" (能登かがり火, lit. "Noto bonfire") refers to bonfires lit during summer festivals on the Noto Peninsula.

Know Your Trains: Kintetsu Limited Express

A lineup of Kintetsu limited-express trains, including the 50000-series "Shimakaze" (left), at Kashihara Jingu-mae Station.
By foooomio (Blue Red Yellow) [CC BY 2.0 ], via Wikimedia Commons

Previously on Sekai Ichi, we went to Iga City.  As described in my introduction to Iga, there are two ways to get there by train: via the JR lines, which I used, or via the Kintetsu network.  Kintetsu, short for Kinki Japan Railway (where "Kinki" (近畿) is an alternate name for the Kansai region), is the largest non-JR railway network in Japan, with a combined 500km (300 mi.) of tracks connecting Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Nagoya, and more.  To get where you're going in speed and style, Kintetsu has a wide array of Limited Express trains supplementing their regular services.

Name	Start Station(s)	End Station(s)	Time	Max. Frequency*
Limited Express	Osaka-Namba	Kintetsu-Nara	35 minutes	1-2 per hour, mornings/evenings**
Limited Express	Osaka-Namba	Kintetsu-Nagoya	140 minutes	1 per hour
Urban Liner	Osaka-Namba	Kintetsu-Nagoya	130 minutes	1 per hour
Limited Express	Osaka-Namba	Kashikojima	150 minutes	1 per hour
Shimakaze	Osaka-Namba	Kashikojima	140 minutes	1 per day
Limited Express	Osaka-Abenobashi	Yoshino	75 minutes	1-2 per hour
Blue Symphony	Osaka-Abenobashi	Yoshino	75 minutes	2 per day
Limited Express	Kyoto	Kintetsu-Nara	35 minutes	2 per hour
Limited Express	Kyoto	Kashikojima	175 minutes	3 per day
Shimakaze	Kyoto	Kashikojima	165 minutes	1 per day
Limited Express	Kintetsu-Nagoya	Kashikojima	60 minutes	1 per hour
Shimakaze	Kintetsu-Nagoya	Kashikojima	100 minutes	1 per day

*Based on August 2018 schedules.
**Mornings to Osaka-Namba, evenings to Kintetsu-Nara.

A 21020-series "Urban Liner" train at Yamato-Yagi Station.
By Rsa (Rsaが大和八木で撮影) [GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Like the Romancecar article, this is gonna be another big one, so I'll sort these trains by departure station.  First on the lineup is Osaka-Namba.  (Osaka-Uehommachi is the official start of this line, but most services start from and end at Osaka-Namba.)  From here, trains depart for Kintetsu's stations in Nara, Nagoya, and the Ise-Shima Peninsula.  There are also limited-express services between Osaka-Namba and Kintetsu-Nara, but they mostly run for commuters in the morning (to Osaka) and evening (to Nara), and cheaper express trains are not much slower besides.  To Nagoya, regular limited-express services alternate with the Urban Liner, which makes fewer stops and has a Deluxe seating car.  To Ise-Shima, there is one round-trip per day of the Shimakaze, a premium excursion train with deluxe seating, salon cabins, and a cafe car.

No.	Name (English)	Name (Japanese)	Line	Limited  Express	Limited  Express	Urban  Liner	Limited  Express	Shimakaze
A01	Osaka-Namba	大阪難波	Kintetsu Nara (A)	X	X	X	X	X
A03	Osaka-Uehommachi	大阪上本町		X	X	X	X	X
A04	Tsuruhashi	鶴橋		X	X	X	X	X
A17	Ikoma	生駒		X	I	I	I	I
A20	Gakuemmae	学園前		X	I	I	I	I
A26	Yamato-Saidaiji	大和西大寺		X	I	I	I	I
A28	Kintetsu-Nara	近鉄奈良		X	I	I	I	I
D25	Yamato-Takada	大和高田	Kintetsu Osaka (D)	I	I	I	X	O
D39	Yamato-Yagi	大和八木		I	X	O	X	X
D45	Haibara	榛原		I	I	I	X	I
D49	Nabari	名張		I	X	I	X	I
D52	Iga-Kambe	伊賀神戸		I	O	I	X	I
D57	Sakakibara-Onsenguchi	榊原温泉口		I	I	I	O	I
			Kintetsu Nagoya (E)
E39	Tsu	津		I	O	I	I	I
E31	Shiroko	白子		I	O	I	I	I
E21	Kintetsu-Yokkaichi	近鉄四日市		I	O	I	I	I
E13	Kuwana	桑名		I	O	I	I	I
E01	Kintetsu-Nagoya	近鉄名古屋		I	X	X	I	I
M61	Ise-Nakagawa	伊勢中川	Kintetsu Yamada / Toba / Shima (M)	I	I	I	X	I
M64	Matsusaka	松阪		I	I	I	X	I
M73	Ise-shi	伊勢市		I	I	I	X	X
M74	Uji-Yamada	宇治山田		I	I	I	X	X
M75	Isuzugawa	五十鈴川		I	I	I	X	I
M78	Toba	鳥羽		I	I	I	X	X
M88	Shima-Isobe	志摩磯部		I	I	I	X	I
M91	Ugata	鵜方		I	I	I	X	I
M93	Kashikojima	賢島		I	I	I	X	X

Legend:
X: All trains stop at this station.
O: Some trains stop at this station.
I: No trains stop at this station.

A 26000-series "Sakura Liner" train at Kashihara Jingu-mae Station.
By TRJN [CC BY-SA 4.0 ], from Wikimedia Commons

Osaka-Abenobashi, a separate station in Osaka, serves as the terminus of the Minami-Osaka line.  Some services are branded as "Sakura Liner"; these include deluxe seating in some cars.  The Blue Symphony, a retro-themed premium excursion train, makes two round-trips daily.  The Sakura Liner and Blue Symphony make the same stops as normal limited-expresses.

No.	Name (English)	Name (Japanese)	Line	Limited  Express
F01	Osaka-Abenobashi	大阪阿部野橋	Kintetsu Minami-Osaka / Yoshino (F)	X
F16	Furuichi	古市		O
F23	Shakudo	尺土		X
F24	Takadashi	高田市		X
F42	Kashihara Jingu-mae	橿原神宮前		X
F44	Asuka	飛鳥		X
F45	Tsubosakayama	壺阪山		X
F48	Yoshinoguchi	吉野口		X
F50	Fukugami	福神		X
F52	Shimoichiguchi	下市口		X
F54	Muda	六田		X
F55	Yamato-Kamiichi	大和上市		X
F56	Yoshino-jingu	吉野神宮		X
F57	Yoshino	吉野		X

Legend:
X: All trains stop at this station.
O: Some trains stop at this station.
I: No trains stop at this station.

A 50000-series "Shimakaze" train.
By Oka21000 [CC BY-SA 3.0 ], from Wikimedia Commons

Next are the remaining services starting from Kyoto and Kintetsu-Nagoya.  The Shimakaze also makes one round-trip journey per day from both of these termini to Ise-Shima.

No.	Name (English)	Name (Japanese)	Line	Limited  Express	Limited  Express	Shimakaze	Limited  Express	Shimakaze
B01	Kyoto	京都	Kintetsu Kyoto (B)	X	X	X	I	I
B07	Kintetsu-Tambabashi	近鉄丹波橋		X	X	X	I	I
B26	Yamato-Saidaiji	大和西大寺		X	X	X	I	I
			Kintetsu Nara (A)
A28	Kintetsu-Nara	近鉄奈良		X	I	I	I	I
D39	Yamato-Yagi	大和八木	Kintetsu Osaka (D)	I	X	X	I	I
D49	Nabari	名張		I	X	I	I	I
E01	Kintetsu-Nagoya	近鉄名古屋	Kintetsu Nagoya (E)	I	I	I	X	X
E13	Kuwana	桑名		I	I	I	X	I
E21	Kintetsu-Yokkaichi	近鉄四日市		I	I	I	X	X
E31	Shiroko	白子		I	I	I	X	I
E39	Tsu	津		I	I	I	X	I
E42	Hisai	久居		I	I	I	O	I
M61	Ise-Nakagawa	伊勢中川		I	X	I	X	I
			Kintetsu Yamada / Toba / Shima (M)
M64	Matsusaka	松阪		I	X	I	X	I
M73	Ise-shi	伊勢市		I	X	X	X	X
M74	Uji-Yamada	宇治山田		I	X	X	X	X
M75	Isuzugawa	五十鈴川		I	X	I	X	I
M78	Toba	鳥羽		I	X	X	X	X
M88	Shima-Isobe	志摩磯部		I	X	I	X	I
M91	Ugata	鵜方		I	X	I	X	X
M93	Kashikojima	賢島		I	X	X	X	X

Legend:
X: All trains stop at this station.
O: Some trains stop at this station.
I: No trains stop at this station.

Premium excursion trains like the Shimakaze and Blue Symphony (pictured) carry only Deluxe seating.
By Things in information [CC BY-SA 4.0 ], from Wikimedia Commons

Onboard accomodations vary among the different limited-express trains.  The basic cabins for all trains have 2+2 seating arrangements, and seat pitch lengths no less than 100cm (39 in.).  Certain types of trains -- the Urban Liner, Ise-Shima Liner, and Sakura Liner -- also have Deluxe seats, arranged 2+1 with seat pitches of 105cm (41 in.).  The special excursion trains -- the Shimakaze and Blue Symphony -- only have Deluxe seating, resulting in premium ticket prices, but an above-and-beyond seat pitch of 125cm (49 in.).  In addition, some trains also have salon-room seating for groups of 4 or so passengers.

Service	Total Cars	Reserved Cars	Deluxe/Salon Cars	Cafe/Other Cars
Limited Express	6	6	0	0
Ise-Shima / Sakura Liner	6	4 (Cars #1-4)	2 (Cars #5-6)	0
Urban Liner	6	5 (Cars #2-6)	1 (Car #1)	0
Shimakaze	6	0	4 (Cars #1-2, 5-6)	2 (Cars #3-4)
Blue Symphony	3	0	2 (Cars #1, 3)	1 (Car #2

Tips

• The Kintetsu Rail Pass, available in 1, 2, or 5-day varieties, covers base fare but not limited-express fees within their respective coverage areas.  For more information, read my article about rail passes of the Kansai region.
• Passengers may purchase limited-express tickets online through Kintetsu's website.  Upon buying an "e-Ticket" online, you will need to print out the confirmation, bring it to the station, purchase the base fare, and show both tickets to the gate attendant.  More information: (English) (Japanese)
• The Shimakaze, Blue Symphony, and during the cherry blossom season, other express trains to Yoshino are some of the most difficult trains to get tickets for in Japan, so reserve as early as possible.

Trivia

• The Minami-Osaka / Yoshino line, which is separated from Kintetsu's other lines, uses narrow-gauge tracks (1,067mm / 3' 6" between rails) as opposed to the standard-gauge (1,435mm / 4' 8½") favoured by the rest of the network.  This is because that line was built and operated by a separate company, before being merged into (what would later become) Kintetsu in 1943.
• Multiple Kintetsu trainsets have won the Blue Ribbon Award for the best in Japanese train design.  The most recent recipient, in 2014, was the 50000-series train used for Shimakaze services.
• The name Shimakaze, written in Hiragana as しまかぜ, means "island wind" in English.  It has also been used to christen some destroyer ships of the Imperial Japanese Navy before/during World War II, and the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force afterwards.

Know Your Trains: Odakyu Romancecar

Edit 10 October 2019: Updated prices to reflect the increase in Japan's national sales tax.

A 50000-series "VSE" model Romancecar train, at Hakone-Yumoto Station.
Taken on Saturday, 12 May 2018.

Previously on Sekai Ichi, we went to Hakone.  As a Japan Rail Pass user, I took the Tokaido Shinkansen to Odawara Station, which is the fastest way to get there from Tokyo.  But there are alternatives which may suit you better, and one of the most popular choices is the fleet of limited-express trains run by the Odakyu Railway, collectively known by the brand name of "Romancecar" (ロマンスカー, Romansukā). Romancecar is not a blanket term for any one service, for there are many different limited-express trains operating on the Odakyu network, each with their own stopping patterns and names.  In a nutshell, they are:

Name	Start Station(s)	End Station(s)	Time	Max. Frequency*
Super Hakone	Shinjuku	Hakone-Yumoto	85 minutes	1-2 per day
Hakone	Shinjuku	Hakone-Yumoto	90 minutes	2-3 per hour
Sagami	Shinjuku	Odawara	75 minutes	1-2 per hour, mornings/evenings
Homeway	Shinjuku	Hakone-Yumoto	90 minutes	2 per hour, evenings
Metro Hakone	Kita-Senju	Hakone-Yumoto	65 minutes	1-2 per day
Metro Sagami	Hon-Atsugi	Kita-Senju	85 minutes	1 per day, mornings
Metro Homeway	Kita-Senju.	Hon-Atsugi	85 minutes	1 per day, evenings
Enoshima	Shinjuku	Katase-Enoshima	65 minutes	1 per 1-2 hours
Homeway	Shinjuku	Fujisawa	60 minutes	1 per hour, evenings
Fujisan	Shinjuku	Gotemba	100 minutes	1 per 6 hours

*Based on August 2018 schedules.

...So yeah, there's a lot to get through.  Let's start with the Odawara Line trains.  The Hakone (はこね) train is the main service to Hakone-Yumoto, the major train and bus hub of the Hakone area.  The Super Hakone (スーパーはこね, Sūpā Hakone) follows the same route, but makes no stops except for Shinjuku, Odawara, and Hakone-Yumoto, for an even faster trip.  They are supplemented by the Sagami (さがみ) and Homeway (ホーマウェイ Hōmuwei), which are both aimed at local commuters.  The Sagami mainly travels toward Shinjuku in the mornings (a few go the other way), while the Homeway runs from Shinjuku in the evenings.

No.	Name (English)	Name (Japanese)	Line	Super Hakone	Hakone	Sagami	Homeway
OH01	Shinjuku	新宿	Odakyu Odawara	X	X	X	X
OH19	Mukogaoka-Yuen	向ヶ丘遊園		I	O	O	X
OH23	Shin-Yurigaoka	新百合ヶ丘		I	O	O	X
OH27	Machida	町田		I	O	O	X
OH28	Sagami-ono	相模大野		I	O	O	X
OH34	Hon-Atsugi	本厚木		I	O	O	X
OH39	Hadano	秦野		I	O	O	O
OH41	Shin-Matsuda	新松田		I	O	O	O
OH47	Odawara	小田原		X	X	O	O
			Hakone- Tozan
OH51	Hakone-Yumoto	箱根湯本		X	X	I	I

Legend:
X: All trains stop at this station.
O: Some trains stop at this station.
I: No trains stop at this station.

Next up are the Metro Hakone (メトロはこね, Metoro Hakone), Metro Sagami (メトロさがみ, Metoro Sagami), and Metro Homeway (メトロホームウェイ, Metoro Hōmuwei).  What's different about these is that, instead of stopping or starting at Shinjuku, they instead serve Tokyo Metro's Chiyoda (C) subway line, before continuing along the Odakyu line at the other end.

No.	Name (English)	Name (Japanese)	Line	Metro Hakone	Metro Sagami	Metro Homeway
C18	Kita-Senju	北千住	Tokyo Metro Chiyoda	X	X	X
C11	Otemachi	大手町		X	X	X
C08	Kasumigaseki	霞ヶ関		X	X	X
C04	Omotesando	表参道		X	X	X
C01	Yoyogi-Uehara*	代々木上原		I	I	I
			Odakyu Odawara
OH14	Seijogakuen-mae	成城学園前		X	O	O
OH23	Shin-Yurigaoka	新百合ヶ丘		I	O	X
OH27	Machida	町田		X	X	X
OH34	Hon-Atsugi	本厚木		X	X	X
OH47	Odawara	小田原		X	I	I
			Hakone- Tozan
OH52	Hakone-Yumoto	箱根湯本		X	I	I

Legend:
X: All trains stop at this station.
O: Some trains stop at this station.
I: No trains stop at this station.

*Yoyogi-Uehara is the junction where the Chiyoda and Odawara lines meet, but Romancecar trains do not stop to let passengers on or off at this station.

Finally, let's look at the other Romancecar services together.  The Enoshima (えのしま), as per its name, goes down the Odakyu Enoshima branch line.  You can transfer to the Enoden tram from some of the stops and go to Kamakura that way.  However, the Odakyu and Enoden stations in Enoshima are a bit far apart (10 minutes on foot), so you may want to transfer at Fujisawa instead.  There is also a version of the Homeway which follows the Enoshima's route, departing from Shinjuku in the evenings.  Finally, we have the Fujisan (ふじさん). These trains branch off from the Odakyu Odawara line to JR Central's Gotemba Line, ending at Gotemba station.  From here, one can transfer to a bus bound for the Fuji Five Lakes.

No.	Name (English)	Name (Japanese)	Line	Enoshima	Homeway	Fujisan
OH01	Shinjuku	新宿	Odakyu Odawara	X	X	X
OH23	Shin-Yurigaoka	新百合ヶ丘		O	X	X
OH23	Sagami-ono	相模大野		X	X	X
OH34	Hon-Atsugi	本厚木		I	I	X
OH39	Hadano	秦野		I	I	X
CB04	Matsuda	松田		I	I	X
			JR Gotemba
CB08	Suruga-Oyama	駿河小山		I	I	O
CB10	Gotemba	御殿場		I	I	X
OE05	Yamato	大和	Odakyu Enoshima	X	X	I
OE13	Fujisawa	藤沢		X	X	I
OE16	Katase-Enoshima	片瀬江ノ島		X	X	I

Legend:
X: All trains stop at this station.
O: Some trains stop at this station.
I: No trains stop at this station.

---

The name "Romancecar" comes from "romance seat", a Japanese term for a loveseat.  This style of seating, consisting of side-by-side seats without dividing armrests, is widely used by the Romancecar fleet.  Most Romancecar trains carry 10 cars, and all seating is reserved.  Seat pitch varies from 97 to 105 cm (38-41 in.), depending on the train model.

Romancecar seats do not have a dividing armrest.
By Cassiopeia sweet [Public domain], from Wikimedia Commons

There are many different trainsets used by the Romancecar services.  The oldest currently-running trains (7000-series "LSE") date back to the 1980s, while the newest (70000-series "GSE") were introduced just this year (2018).  On some models (the LSE, VSE, and GSE), the driver's cab is placed on the upper deck of the lead cars, so passengers in the first car have an unobstructed view out front.  Some services, mainly Hakone, Super Hakone, and Metro Hakone, sell refreshments of bento boxes, snacks, drinks, and more at counters and/or vending machines.

The observation car of a 70000-series "GSE" train.  The driver's cabin is hidden above the ceiling.
By Cassiopeia sweet [Public domain], from Wikimedia Commons

---

Tips

• The Hakone Free Pass can, optionally, cover round-trip train ride on the Odakyu line between Shinjuku and Odawara.  However, this only covers base fare; limited-express supplement tickets must be purchased separately.  The additional one-way fare would cost ¥910, plus ¥5,700 for the pass itself (2 days, round-trip from Shinjuku).
• The only Romancecar section covered by the Japan Rail Pass is the JR Gotemba (CB) Line between Matsuda (CB04) and Gotemba (CB10) stations, used by the Fujisan.  A one-way fare from Shinjuku with the pass would cost ¥1,490, saving ¥1,370.  It is not valid for any other Romancecar services.

Trivia

• The Romancecar line made its debut in 1957, with the 3000-series "SE" trainset.  On a trial run, it set a speed record for narrow-gauge trains, achieving a speed of 145 km/h (90 mph).  This was a major inspiration for the Shinkansen, which of course made its own debut less than a decade later.
• Many Romancecar trains have won the Blue Ribbon Award, given annually to the best-designed trains in Japan.  In 1958, the very first recipient of this award was the 3000-series "SE" Romancecar.
• The Metro Romancecar series, which made its debut in 2008, is the first limited-express service to operate on subway lines in Japan.
• The Fujisan service was known as the Asagiri until 17 March 2018.  Its name came from the Asagiri highlands, to the west of Mt. Fuji.

Left to right: Odakyu 3000-series "SE", 3100-series "NSE", and 7000-series "LSE" trains.
By Lover of Romance (Own work) [GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Know Your Trains: Hitachi and Tokiwa

Edit 9 October 2019: Updated prices to reflect the increase in Japan's national sales tax.

An E657-series train, on a test run at Kita-Senju Station.
By Rsa [GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0], from Wikimedia Commons

Previously on Sekai Ichi, I visited the Hitachi Seaside Park in Ibaraki Prefecture.  While I went as part of a guided tour, the park can also be visited by public transportation.  And the fastest way there is by the Hitachi limited express train which, along with its sister train, the Tokiwa, passes the park on its way up and down the JR Joban line.

Name	Start Station	End Station(s)	Time	Max. Frequency*
Hitachi	Shinagawa	Iwaki	150 minutes	1 per hour
Tokiwa	Shinagawa	Katsuta	100 minutes	1 per hour
		Takahagi	130 minutes	4 per day

* Departure frequency is based on July 2018 schedules and are subject to change.

The Joban Line starts from centre-city Tokyo and goes northeast until it reaches the Pacific Ocean coast, near Mito and the Hitachi Seaside Park, and follows it northwards until terminating at Sendai. The Hitachi service skips most of the earlier stops ends at Iwaki, the largest city in Fukushima Prefecture, while the Tokiwa makes more stops and terminates earlier on. Traditionally, the Hitachi and Tokiwa both started from Ueno Station. But, on 14 March 2015, the Ueno-Tokyo line was opened, providing through-service between the Tokaido and northern main lines. The Hitachi and Tokiwa take advantage of this by making additional stops at Tokyo and Shinagawa stations, the latter serving as their new terminus.

Name (English)	Name (Japanese)	Line	Hitachi	Tokiwa
Shinagawa	品川	JR Tokaido (JT)	O	O
Tokyo	東京		O	O
Ueno	上野		X	X
		JR Joban (JJ)
Kashiwa	柏		I	X
Sanuki	佐貫		I	O
Ushiku	牛久		I	O
Tsuchiura	土浦		I	X
Ishioka	石岡		I	X
Tomobe	友部		I	X
Akatsuka	赤塚		I	O
Kairakuen*	偕楽園		O	O
Mito	水戸		X	X
Katsuta	勝田		X	X
Tokai	東海		I	O
Omika	大甕		O	O
Hitachi-Taga	常陸多賀		O	O
Hitachi	日立		X	O
Takahagi	高萩		O	O
Isohara	磯原		O	O
Nakoso	勿来		O	I
Izumi	泉		X	I
Yumoto	湯本		X	I
Iwaki	いわき		X	I

Legend
X: All trains stop at this station.
O: Some trains stop at this station.
I: No trains stop at this station.
*Kairakuen is a temporary station open only during the plum-blossom season in February/March.

Notable Stops

• Mito: The capital city of Ibaraki Prefecture, and site of Kairaku-en, one of Japan's three most famous landscape gardens, which is famous for plum-tree blossoms in February and March.
• Katsuta: The closest station to Hitachi Seaside Park.
• Hitachi: A seaside city with a sizable cherry blossom festival.
• Izumi: The closest station to the Aquamarine Fukushima aquarium.
• Yumoto: The closest station to the Spa Resort Hawaiians water park.
• Iwaki: The largest city in Fukushima Prefecture.

An E653-series Super Hitachi train (retired in 2013), passing the plum trees of Kairaku-en.
Fumihiko Ueno [CC BY 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Both the Hitachi and Tokiwa use E657-series train sets, which were introduced in 2012.  In both the regular and Green cars, seats are arranged in a 2+2 layout, with 96cm (38 in.) of seat pitch in the regular sections, and 116cm (46 in.) in the Green Cars.  All seats have their own electrical outlets.

Service	Total Cars	Non-Reserved Cars	Reserved Cars	Green Cars
Hitachi	10	0	9 (Cars #1-4, 6-10)	1 (Car #5)
Tokiwa	10	0	9 (Cars #1-4, 6-10)	1 (Car #5)

Tips

• All seats on the Hitachi and Tokiwa require reservations.  These are free to make with the Japan Rail Pass and JR East Tohoku Area Pass.
• The JR East Nagano-Niigata Area Pass and Tokyo Wide Pass also cover the Hitachi and Tokiwa, but only up to Isohara, the last stop in Ibaraki prefecture. Users of these passes must pay for any fares beyond that out-of-pocket, up to ¥1,440 (to Iwaki).
• During Kairaku-en's plum blossom festival in February/March, a temporary train station is set up at the park's entrance, between Akatsuka and Mito Stations.  At the moment, I have been unable to confirm if Hitachi and/or Tokiwa trains make an additional stop there, or if you will need to transfer to a local at the next closest stop.

Trivia

• The name "Hitachi" (ひたち) is also the name of Hitachi Province, the former counterpart to present-day Ibaraki Prefecture.  As a train service, the name was first used in 1963 for express trains between Ueno and Iwaki*.
• *Iwaki Station was known as Taira Station until 1994.
• The name "Tokiwa" (ときわ) is an alternate reading of Joban (常磐, Jōban), a region encompassing the old Hitachi (常陸国, Hitachi no Kuni) and Iwaki (磐城国, Iwaki no Kuni) provinces, the latter forming the eastern portion of modern-day Fukushima Prefecture.  As a train service, the name was first used for another express service between Ueno and Iwaki.  It operated from 1958 to 1985.
• The Hitachi was once supplemented by two new services: the Super Hitachi in 1989, and the Fresh Hitachi in 1997. In March 2015, they were renamed simply Hitachi and Tokiwa, respectively.